Why are Indian students learning about petrol and mines in US, what is its connection with Donald Trump?

Indian Students in USA: Donald Trump becoming President is also affecting the course selection of Indian students. Indian students going to study in America now want to study courses related to sectors like petroleum, mining and agriculture. Donald Trump is promoting these areas, due to which students feel that if they study courses related to these, they will have more opportunities for jobs. For this reason, applications for these courses are increasing in America.
According to Piyush Kumar, Regional Director, South Asia, IDP Education, “America remains the first choice for Indian students to study courses like petroleum engineering, mining engineering and agricultural science.” he/she also explains the reason for this. he/she said, “Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths” (STEM) courses are more popular because after studying them, students get a chance to work in America for 36 months through ‘Optional Practical Training’ (OPT).

What kind of courses are students studying?

The demand for courses like Natural Gas Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering and Mineral and Energy Economics like Petroleum and Mining is increasing the most. In the agriculture sector, students are getting attracted towards courses like Animal Sciences, Livestock Business Management and Agronomy. Universities in energy hubs like Texas and Colorado and the agricultural regions of the Midwest are the top choices for students.

Manisha Javeri, Joint Managing Director of Career Mosaic, said that the class of students applying in these fields is changing. Around 70-80% of the students are post-graduates, many of whom already have industry experience. Postgraduate applications in fields such as food technology and agricultural sciences outnumber undergraduate applications by a 3:1 ratio. Universities like Texas A&M and UC Davis are particularly popular for their strong ties to regional industries.

This trend is not new at all, but it has gained momentum in recent years. Nikhil Jain, founder of ForeignAdmits, says that this trend gained momentum after the Covid pandemic when the global supply chain was disrupted. Students began to recognize the sustainability and opportunities in these areas.